a massive deal in its homeland thanks to its range of well-made smartphones which deliver a polished user experience at a low cost.
Times are perhaps changing for the company, however; its Mi Mix and Mi Mix 2 phones are premium propositions and it has been eyeing up a move into western markets for quite some time.
Even so, it hasn't forgotten its budget roots, and with that in mind we're taking a look at the Redmi 5, Xiaomi's attempt to bring 16:9 screens to the masses.
It's available from online resellers such as GearBest for around £130 – making it one of the most attractive low-cost Android phones on the market right now.
Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus Review: Design & Display
Xiaomi used to reserve its "phablet" style budget phones for the Redmi Note range, but this year it has dropped the "Note" moniker and has simply created two versions of the same basic handset - the Redmi 5 and the Redmi 5 Plus. The former has a 720p screen and weaker chipset, but is cheaper and smaller. The Plus version – which is what we're reviewing here – has the same basic design but a better screen and internal tech.
Much was made of the Redmi 5 range's move to a 16:9 aspect ratio screen when it was first announced, and it certainly doesn't disappoint. There are still small bezels at the top and bottom of the display, but they're drastically reduced when compared to what budget buyers have been used to over the past few years.
In terms of overall dimensions the Redmi 5 Plus is around the same size as the OnePlus 5T, and has a pleasant rounded design which makes it comfortable to hold. Most of the bodywork is metal, but there are plastic sections at both ends which allow the antenna to function. In terms of design language it shares a lot with previous Xiaomi phones, and that's no bad thing.
The power button and volume rocker are on the right-hand edge, while the dual Nano SIM tray – which doubles as a MicroSD slot – is on the left. The bottom has a single speaker and a Micro USB port (no USB Type-C here, unfortunately) and the top has a 3.5mm headphone jack and IR blaster, the latter being a common feature on Xiaomi's phones. On the back, there's a 12 megapixel camera, LED flash and fingerprint scanner; the scanner rests just under your finger when you're holding the phone and is both fast and accurate.The 5.99-inch IPS screen may lack the punch of an OLED panel but for £130, it's hard to complain. It's a 1080p display so everything looks sharp, and colours are generally bold and lively. Even blacks are quite deep, which makes a nice change from the pale and pasty IPS screens we've seen on other budget blowers. In direct sunlight it can be a bit hard to see, but otherwise this is an excellent panel.
No comments:
Post a Comment